Method for assessing brain function and portable automatic brain function assessment apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing rapid brain assessment may provide emergency triage to head trauma patients by analyzing a combination of spontaneous and evoked brain potentials. The spontaneous and evoked potentials are analyzed, and the results classified, to present a real-time assessment of a patient's brain, diagnosing any potential abnormalities therein.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to the field of emergency triage, and specifically, a method and apparatus for performing emergency neurological triage. Moreover, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for assessing brain function. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The central nervous system (CNS) and the brain in particular, perform the most complex and essential processes in the human body. Surprisingly, contemporary health care lacks sophisticated tools to objectively assess their function. A patient's mental and neurological status is typically assessed clinically by an interview and a subjective physical exam. The clinical laboratory currently has no capacity to assess brain function or pathology, contributing little more than identification of poisons, toxins, or drugs that may have externally impacted the CNS. Brain imaging studies, such as computed tomography imaging (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), though widely used and useful, are stru...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Problems solved by technology

Surprisingly, contemporary health care lacks sophisticated tools to objectively assess their function.

The clinical laboratory currently has no capacity to assess brain function or pathology, contributing little more than identification of poisons, toxins, or drugs that may have externally impacted the CNS.

All of these assessment tools play an important role in selected cases, but they are costly, not universally available, and they do not provide critical information at the early stages of acute care situations.

None of the current techniques provides the immediate, actionable information critical to timely intervention, appropriate triage, or the formulation of an appropriate plan of care.

Currently, emergency room patients with altered mental status, acute neuropathy, or head trauma must undergo costly and time consuming tests to determine an appropriate course of treatment.

Unfortunately, in many cases, the clinical condition of patients continue to deteriorate as they wait for equipment to become available or for specialists to interpret tests.

The problem that faces ER physicians is that their resources are quite literally limited to a flashlight and a rubber reflex hammer.

Some abnormalities which will eventually have anatomical and structural consequences often take time to become visible.

Thus, while the location, expense, and limited availability of the CT scan can be problematic, so indeed can the fact that it is a structural as opposed to functional test.

One-third of over 200 physicians surveyed at the American College of Emergency Physicians feel that the combination of a good clinical laboratory, a neurological exam, and a CT scan of the head, is not adequate for the assessment of every patient with altered mental status or neurological dysfunction.

Even though EEG-based neurometric technology is accepted today and a tremendous body of data exists, application in the clinical environment is notably limited.

Some of the barriers limiting its adoption include: the cost of EEG equipment, its lack of portability, the need for a technician to administer the test, the time it takes to conduct the test, and the need for expert interpretation of the raw data.

More importantly, the technology is neither available nor practical in the acute care setting, especially at the point of care.

Despite the high costs, the instrument produces essentially raw waveforms which must be carefully interpreted by an expert.

Moreover, use of the standard EEG equipment remains extremely cumbersome.

Neither the specialized centers, nor the typically large hospital EEG machines are practical for the ER, operating room (OR), intensive care unit (ICU), or any other acute care medicine setting where patients are in the greatest need.

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